Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Celebration Banquet

“No matter how modest you are, Ed, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ is an outstanding film, and both critics and box office numbers have proven that,” Elaine said as she raised her glass. “This drink is for you.”

“Thank you.” Adrian lifted his glass to his lips and took a sip. “But this isn’t just my own achievement. Without the brilliant performances from Tim, Morgan, and Bob, the film wouldn’t have achieved such success. So, here’s to them.”

Saying so, he raised his glass to Robbins and Freeman, who were standing to his left, and they reciprocated with a toast. After a few more amicable exchanges of words, Adrian turned and walked away. After a few steps, Elaine caught up to him from behind.

“Hey, Ed, what are your plans coming up?” he asked with a beaming smile.

“Nothing at the moment, you know, I’m busy with a new film,” Adrian shrugged his shoulders, “After the premiere, apart from a few days over Halloween, I’ve been in studio 28 the whole time, not even paying attention to the box office.”

“You’re really calm, Ed,” Elaine laughed, “Of course, I know you’re busy with a new film, but even though young people have abundant energy, it’s still necessary to get some rest.”

“There’s nothing I can do, sometimes when inspiration strikes, I’m eager to put it into action, and sometimes objective conditions don’t wait for anyone. Like this time, if we hadn’t moved quickly, Al might have already taken on another role,” Adrian said with a shrug, looking a bit helpless, “I can only try to organize my schedule as reasonably as possible.”

“That’s also true,” Elaine agreed, “But it’s really surprising that you’ve managed to get Al Pacino to star in your new film. I’m as curious as those journalists now about what kind of story it is.”

“A very exciting story about a friendship that transcends age between young people and the elderly, and about finding something in each other that might have been lost,” Adrian briefly described, “I won Al over with the script.”

“I can imagine, your scripts always surprise people,” Elaine nodded, “Actually, that’s what I was asking about initially, whether there are any new ideas on the script.”

Adrian smiled, he knew what Elaine wanted to say. At the premiere, while discussing ‘Jurassic Park’ with Spielberg and mentioning Harrison Ford, Adrian thought of ‘The Fugitive’ from ’93 that starred Ford and was a big hit. He immediately had Laverne purchase the TV adaptation rights for the film, and after writing an outline, he handed it over to the script editors to flesh out the content.

Being the one with the closest relationship with Bossworth Film Company at the moment, Universal naturally knew this news early on and thus wanted to get the script first. From the initial scripts to ‘Terminator 2’, which raked in 500 million US dollars in global box office revenue, Adrian’s capabilities and foresight had been proven, so Universal was definitely not going to let go easily, even if they couldn’t get the script, they’d find a way to be involved in investment.

“Don’t worry, Elaine, I think considering our good relationship, whenever there’s a new script or something else, I’ll definitely consider you guys first,” Adrian said, patting Elaine’s shoulder.

“Great, I hope to hear some good news from you,” Elaine didn’t say much else, nodded, and then left. Unfortunately, she didn’t know that Adrian had no intention of passing the script for “The Fugitive” to Universal to handle. He didn’t even plan to have his own film company produce it–though, of course, he intended to participate in the investment.

Although he had been getting close to Universal, that didn’t mean he was going to give up contacts with other major film companies, even if some were bound to become competitors as things progressed. That’s why he left “Casper” to Disney. Aside from investing and recommending Brad Silberling as the director, and insisting on Sarah Michelle Gellar for the role of the daughter, he didn’t concern himself with anything else.

“The Fugitive” was also planned to be handled this way, and as for which company it would go to, that was Laverne’s business. As for Universal, there were plenty of good scripts to go around. Giving too many could actually devalue them. Besides, “Jurassic Park” alone was sure to fill their coffers, so other deals could wait.

Wandering alone in the Hilton Hotel’s golden hall, Adrian looked at the groups of well-dressed people mingling and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. “The Shawshank Redemption” hadn’t let him down at the box office, making all the extensive publicity work worthwhile. Although his first two movies earned considerable attention, the news about them was always tucked away at the back of the paper. This time, thanks to the debates it sparked, it made it into the second page, which would take Adrian’s fame up a notch. If he could get a few Oscar nominations next year, it would be even more perfect.

In the entertainment industry, fame is often more important than profit. Many celebrities, even those buried in debt, can still count on banks to lend them money as long as they have enough fame and drawing power.

Adrian’s previous two films had been not only box office hits but also boasted sizable returns. “The Shawshank Redemption,” although slightly less successful, was still in theaters and its reputation was hardly any worse than “Memento.” As his career progressed, there would be plenty of opportunities for box-office hits, so his current target was the prestigious awards.

Awards like the Best Newcomer at the Venice Film Festival or the Jury Grand Prize at the Berlin Film Festival were basically of little use, providing at most a talking point in reminiscences. In the United States, however, the influence and magnitude of the Oscars were unrivaled.

Of course, Adrian wasn’t delusional enough to dream of taking home an Oscar statuette next year. The Oscars had their own rules, and what he wanted was just a nomination. For a newcomer director, securing an Oscar nomination was attention-grabbing enough. It would build up his experience, especially since he still held the film adaptation rights to the novel.

Glancing around once more, Adrian suddenly felt a sense of loneliness. Although the celebration was scheduled for the weekend, Kate had been held back in the villa due to some female-specific issues. Then, since he had left to discuss “Jurassic Park” with Spielberg in the middle of the premiere, Adrian hadn’t managed to see Julia again, so he failed to obtain her phone number. While contacting her wouldn’t be difficult, it would be too abrupt.

“What a depressing night,” Adrian murmured to himself. Yet as he turned around, a warm body suddenly stumbled into his arms.

Adrian quickly wrapped his arms around the other person’s soft waist, while his other hand holding the wine glass spilled some of the contents onto the other’s evening gown because of the impact.

“Oh, I’m truly sorry,” Adrian said while placing his wine glass on a passing waiter’s tray. He then pulled a handkerchief out of his suit jacket pocket and began wiping the stain on the gown, “Miss Drew Barrymore.”

(Give me your recommendation tickets!)